What does it mean if the minute volume on a ventilator keeps alarming?

Do you mean high minute volume or low minute volume? I ume low. The minute volume is the volume of gas the person exhales in one minute. If this volume is low, it could be one of many things, including inadequate ventilator settings, incorrect alarm settings, a disconnect or leak in the tubing, dislodgement of or leak around the endotracheal tube or trach, nondelivery of gases due to high airway pressures (due to lung disease, obstruction of the tube, or fighting the vent), or the ventilator was turned off and not turned back on! You can generally figure out what is going on by looking at the patient and looking at the ventilator. If not, the respiratory therapist can help troubleshoot. It is obviously an urgent situation, and hopefully you have figured it out by the time you get this answer. :)